Entertainment Report :
At a time when many of the mainstream musicians in the country remained eerily silent, two rappers, Hannan Hossain Shimul and Muhammad Shezan, stood out as voices of defiance and etched their names into text books.
Their creations, ‘Awaaz Utha’ by Hannan and ‘Kotha Ko’ by Shezan, reverberated through the streets, ignited fire in the hearts of thousands, becoming hymns of the oppressed and rallying cries for justice that fueled the July uprising against autocracy.
“Have you heard the song ‘Kotha Ko’ by Shezan? While singers from earlier generations were often too afraid to use music as a form of protest, artists like Shezan and Hannan have courageously spoken out,” read a Class-VII textbook.
“Their rap songs became anthems of the July Uprising in 2024. The new generation is no longer afraid; they are brave and different,” read the English textbook as part of write up titled ‘New Generation’.
Hannan’s ‘Awaaz Utha’ (Raise Your Voice)-with its sharp lyrics, pulsating beats, and raw emotion-echoed the people’s anguish under an autocratic rule.
A young rapper from Narayanganj, Hannan made headlines with his explosive rap song which led to his arrest on July 25 during the protests just a week after the release of his song. He was in prison for 12 days.
He was released after the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government.
The intro of the song loosely translates to: “Raise your voice, Bangladesh, raise your voice, So much blood on the streets, whose blood is that, raise your voice, Raise your voice, Bangladesh, raise your voice, Who fired the shots on the streets? Raise your voice, Bangladesh…”
Shezan’s song ‘Kotha Ko’ (Speak the Truth), with its strong and thought-provoking lyrics, colloquial expressions, emphasized a call for action and justice.
It became part of the soul of the protests immediately after its release on July 16 capturing the pain and resilience of a nation shackled by fear.
The intro of the song loosely translates to: “Hey, what’s the difference between ‘52 and ‘24? Speak up! The country’s supposed to be free, so where’s the freedom? Speak up! My brothers and sisters are dying in the streets-what are you doing about it? Speak up! The black cobra wrapped around our necks; find out where is the snake’s head?”
